Oak: Finding a Happy Medium

A noted wine writer once commented that wineries should provide a simile of a tea bag filled with oak chips with
each bottle of wine they sell so the consumer can adjust the oak aromas and flavors to their taste. Pinot Noir
loves expensive French oak, since it compliments its flavors and aromatics, adding more complexity and
interest, not to mention providing tannins, adding texture and influencing the finished color of the wine.
However, drinkers vary widely in their personal taste for oak, with some preferring no oak at all in their Pinot
Noir. Many drinkers say they like “just the right amount of oak flavor,” mirroring the proverbial scenario in
Goldilocks and the Three Bears (not too hot nor too cold, but just right).

It is surprising to think of all the aromas and flavors that oak barrels can impart to Pinot Noir. I have compiled a
list for reference: